[Boost-build] build-request.jam from-command-line too aggressive?

From: Roland Schwarz (roland.schwarz_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-08-17 07:03:36

When trying to pass a target to bjam that has a '/' in its name, and one of it 
path components happen to be incident to a feature, as e.g. in:

bjam doc/html

boost build complains with:

X:/projects/boost/trunk/tools/build/v2/build\feature.jam:238: in 
feature.implied-feature from module feature
error: "doc" is not a value of an implicit feature
X:/projects/boost/trunk/tools/build/v2/build\property.jam:277: in validate1 from 
module property
X:/projects/boost/trunk/tools/build/v2/build\property.jam:290: in 
property.validate from module property
X:/projects/boost/trunk/tools/build/v2/build\build-request.jam:185: in 
convert-command-line-element from module build-request
X:/projects/boost/trunk/tools/build/v2/build\build-request.jam:143: in 
build-request.from-command-line from module build-request
X:/projects/boost/trunk/tools/build/v2\build-system.jam:267: in load from module 
build-system
X:\projects\boost\trunk\tools\build\v2/kernel\modules.jam:261: in import from 
module modules
X:\projects\boost\trunk\tools\build\v2/kernel/bootstrap.jam:132: in boost-build 
from module

This is odd because

1) The error message is misleading since the html (not the doc) is causing the
    error. Despite doc is being reported. (Try doc/doc instead.)

2) It is cryptic why e.g. "install html/images" should be allowed while "install
   doc/html" will generate an error.

Suggested resolution:

Generally try _first_ to apply "convert-command-line-element", and everything
that is failing this, pass on to targets.

However this will also require a change of "property.validate" so it will not
automatically trigger an EXIT.

What do you think?

Roland aka speedsnail